What I Watched This Week (w/e June 29th 2008)
After finishing the pile of unread magazines, I set about reducing the pending pile, by watching the Russ Meyer DVDs that I bought a while ago (my least favourite of his films) and a lot of review discs.
The 4400 Season 3 - Somewhere in between The X Files and Heroes, The 4400 follows people who disappeared before reappearing in a ball of light all at once, with the name describing their number. Season three picks up where season two left off, with Kyle in jail for murdering Jordan Collier, but springs an immediate surprise by ageing Isobel by about 18 years and her mother by about 50 in the process. The storylines created in the first two seasons are continued, but with some crossover in a ripple effect. :)
Flight of the Conchords Season 1 - This HBO show follows the eponymous band in their quest to make it big in the US. The fact that they only have one fan and a useless agent from the New Zealand embassy adds to the quirky humour and the songs in the episodes contain some fantastic lyrics. Top stuff. :D
The Immoral Mr Teas - This, one of Russ Meyer's first films, follows the titular salesman as he goes about his business but begins seeing women in all their glory. Compared to Meyer's later films and, indeed, some mainstream Hollywood films, this seems quite quaint and innocent but is good fun despite its lack of ambition. :|
Eve and the Handyman - Another early Meyer offering shows a handyman being followed around by Meyer's then wife Eve dressed in a trenchcoat and beret. Like The Immoral Mr Teas, this seems very innocent and tame and it's hard to imagine that, at the time, it was restricted to small private theatres. :|
Wild Gals of the Naked West - This was one of the many titles that this film was released under and is largely inaccurate as the girls are neither wild nor naked! It's a silly romp with no particular story, but does show the technical expertise of Russ Meyer. :(
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers - Out of the whole Russ Meyer canon, this is a film that is most unlike the others, without the outrageous humour, cartoon violence and memorable dialogue that so typifies his best work. The result is a largely forgettable movie about a planned robbery of a bar. :(
Pandora Peaks - No matter how many times I try, I can't find the appeal in this documentary about some big busted dancers/models. The dialogue gets repetitive very quickly, as do the shots of Pandora Peaks and the other pneumatically chested women. I gave up about halfway through. >:(
Blacksnake - Another misfire from Meyer, which isn't funny enough to be a parody, so ends up as a pious lecture on the evils of slavery. The technical elements of the film are unquestionably good, as is the setting, but the lack of humour is the film's main downfall. :(
Mondo Topless - Better than I remembered it, with some good camp fun and enjoyable soundtrack. The best parts of this documentary are the recollections from the girls featured about dancing, acting and their attitude towards clothes! :|
The Orphanage - A brilliant ghost story by Spanish newcomer J.A. Bayona - full review to follow shortly.
The Elephant Man - A fine special edition of David Lynch's film about John Merrick - full review to follow shortly.
Son of Rambow - Loved it at the cinema and loved it on DVD - full review to follow shortly.
How About It - A good package about mountain biking in New Zealand - full review to follow shortly.
NHRA 2007 Drag Race Complete Review - A great disc for fans of action on the quarter mile strip - full review to follow shortly.
La Antena - A visually stunning homage to the great silent movies - full review to follow shortly.
Bloodbath at the House of Death - The PR company sent me the right disc this time (no DivX of a 1971 sex drama this time!) and its release will please Kenny Everett fans - full review to follow shortly.
The Incredible Hulk - Interesting when Edward Norton is on screen, boring when The Hulk is. It's especially dull when The Hulk fights Tim Roth's The Abomination and CGI just takes over. The problem with bringing The Hulk to the screen is that the only way he can be created is through CGI, which is not yet good enough to create a sense of realism so you just end up with a very big angry Shrek. I don't know what's happened to Liv Tyler's lips but they just look terrible - it's as if they have suffered a horrible insect attack! :|
Teeth - In terms of pacing and scripting, it's pretty much amateur hour but Jess Weixler is excellent and writer/director Mitchell Lichtenstein makes some well-aimed stabs at the abstinence movement in the US whilst showing just what it is that the teeth do! It's not the most accomplished film currently showing, but I enjoyed it more than anything else I saw this week. :|
Wanted - It's a 'leave your brain at the door' film, which asks that you believe that a group of 11th century textile workers decided to become the world's most deadly assassins. It owes a huge debt of gratitude to other more intelligent action blockbusters, most notably The Matrix, and whilst the plot is lumpy and predictable, Timur Bekmambetov shows himself to be a fine action director with some tremendous set pieces. The end result, however, is unsatisfactory. :(
Esham Pickering vs. Matthew Marsh - Pickering has been getting easier to hit lately and has become less elusive to the point that ten-fight novice Matthew Marsh fairly easily out-hustled him to win the British Super-Bantamweight title.
David Diaz vs. Manny Pacquiao - I expected Diaz to give the Pac-Man problems and take him into the later rounds and was stunned by the ease at which the Filipino superstar and pound-for-pound number one dismantled the tough American en route to a stunning knock-out. He is clearly the best boxer in the world. On the undercard, Tye Field came out swinging against the smaller Monte Barrett, leaving himself wide open for counters and was duly knocked out in the first; Steve Luevano drew in his defence of the WBO Featherweight title and, in a shocking piece of refereeing by Joe Cortez, Francisco Lorenzo acted his way to a DQ victory over Humberto Soto.
DVD
The 4400 Season 3 - Somewhere in between The X Files and Heroes, The 4400 follows people who disappeared before reappearing in a ball of light all at once, with the name describing their number. Season three picks up where season two left off, with Kyle in jail for murdering Jordan Collier, but springs an immediate surprise by ageing Isobel by about 18 years and her mother by about 50 in the process. The storylines created in the first two seasons are continued, but with some crossover in a ripple effect. :)
Flight of the Conchords Season 1 - This HBO show follows the eponymous band in their quest to make it big in the US. The fact that they only have one fan and a useless agent from the New Zealand embassy adds to the quirky humour and the songs in the episodes contain some fantastic lyrics. Top stuff. :D
The Immoral Mr Teas - This, one of Russ Meyer's first films, follows the titular salesman as he goes about his business but begins seeing women in all their glory. Compared to Meyer's later films and, indeed, some mainstream Hollywood films, this seems quite quaint and innocent but is good fun despite its lack of ambition. :|
Eve and the Handyman - Another early Meyer offering shows a handyman being followed around by Meyer's then wife Eve dressed in a trenchcoat and beret. Like The Immoral Mr Teas, this seems very innocent and tame and it's hard to imagine that, at the time, it was restricted to small private theatres. :|
Wild Gals of the Naked West - This was one of the many titles that this film was released under and is largely inaccurate as the girls are neither wild nor naked! It's a silly romp with no particular story, but does show the technical expertise of Russ Meyer. :(
Finders Keepers, Lovers Weepers - Out of the whole Russ Meyer canon, this is a film that is most unlike the others, without the outrageous humour, cartoon violence and memorable dialogue that so typifies his best work. The result is a largely forgettable movie about a planned robbery of a bar. :(
Pandora Peaks - No matter how many times I try, I can't find the appeal in this documentary about some big busted dancers/models. The dialogue gets repetitive very quickly, as do the shots of Pandora Peaks and the other pneumatically chested women. I gave up about halfway through. >:(
Blacksnake - Another misfire from Meyer, which isn't funny enough to be a parody, so ends up as a pious lecture on the evils of slavery. The technical elements of the film are unquestionably good, as is the setting, but the lack of humour is the film's main downfall. :(
Mondo Topless - Better than I remembered it, with some good camp fun and enjoyable soundtrack. The best parts of this documentary are the recollections from the girls featured about dancing, acting and their attitude towards clothes! :|
The Orphanage - A brilliant ghost story by Spanish newcomer J.A. Bayona - full review to follow shortly.
The Elephant Man - A fine special edition of David Lynch's film about John Merrick - full review to follow shortly.
Son of Rambow - Loved it at the cinema and loved it on DVD - full review to follow shortly.
How About It - A good package about mountain biking in New Zealand - full review to follow shortly.
NHRA 2007 Drag Race Complete Review - A great disc for fans of action on the quarter mile strip - full review to follow shortly.
La Antena - A visually stunning homage to the great silent movies - full review to follow shortly.
Bloodbath at the House of Death - The PR company sent me the right disc this time (no DivX of a 1971 sex drama this time!) and its release will please Kenny Everett fans - full review to follow shortly.
Cinema
The Incredible Hulk - Interesting when Edward Norton is on screen, boring when The Hulk is. It's especially dull when The Hulk fights Tim Roth's The Abomination and CGI just takes over. The problem with bringing The Hulk to the screen is that the only way he can be created is through CGI, which is not yet good enough to create a sense of realism so you just end up with a very big angry Shrek. I don't know what's happened to Liv Tyler's lips but they just look terrible - it's as if they have suffered a horrible insect attack! :|
Teeth - In terms of pacing and scripting, it's pretty much amateur hour but Jess Weixler is excellent and writer/director Mitchell Lichtenstein makes some well-aimed stabs at the abstinence movement in the US whilst showing just what it is that the teeth do! It's not the most accomplished film currently showing, but I enjoyed it more than anything else I saw this week. :|
Wanted - It's a 'leave your brain at the door' film, which asks that you believe that a group of 11th century textile workers decided to become the world's most deadly assassins. It owes a huge debt of gratitude to other more intelligent action blockbusters, most notably The Matrix, and whilst the plot is lumpy and predictable, Timur Bekmambetov shows himself to be a fine action director with some tremendous set pieces. The end result, however, is unsatisfactory. :(
Television
Esham Pickering vs. Matthew Marsh - Pickering has been getting easier to hit lately and has become less elusive to the point that ten-fight novice Matthew Marsh fairly easily out-hustled him to win the British Super-Bantamweight title.
David Diaz vs. Manny Pacquiao - I expected Diaz to give the Pac-Man problems and take him into the later rounds and was stunned by the ease at which the Filipino superstar and pound-for-pound number one dismantled the tough American en route to a stunning knock-out. He is clearly the best boxer in the world. On the undercard, Tye Field came out swinging against the smaller Monte Barrett, leaving himself wide open for counters and was duly knocked out in the first; Steve Luevano drew in his defence of the WBO Featherweight title and, in a shocking piece of refereeing by Joe Cortez, Francisco Lorenzo acted his way to a DQ victory over Humberto Soto.
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